Long-life storage battery with a magnetic field source and an acid based heat source

ABSTRACT

A long-life battery has an acid based heat source and a magnetic field source to improve the efficiency and life of the battery&#39;s ability to deliver an electrical charge. In particular, an open-ended steel insert having two acid containers containing a muriatic-hydrochloric acid mixture heats up an electrolytic solution that flows within the battery. A magnet disposed between the acid containers generates the magnetic field. The battery may be terminal-less and use insulated leads that extend from the battery. The insulated leads have connectors for coupling to an electrically-powered device.

RELATED PATENT APPLICATION

This application is related to the patent application, entitled"LONG-LIFE STORAGE BATTERY WITH A HEAT SOURCE AND A MAGNETIC FIELDSOURCE," Ser. No. 08/692,171, filed concurrently herewith on Aug. 2,1996.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The field of the present invention is batteries. In particular,described herein is a long-life secondary or storage battery which usesan acid based heat source and magnetic field to extend the life of thebattery and improve the battery's ability to deliver an electricalcharge.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Secondary or storage batteries are made up of an electrochemical cell orcells that generate electricity. Rechargeable storage batteries can berecharged by passing a current through them in the reverse direction.The voltage or force generated by the recharging process depends on thenumber of cells that make up the battery. Normally each cell produces2.05 volts. Cells may be connected in a series to create a battery withgreater voltage, although the amperage or current is only the current ofthe one cell. Should greater current be required, the cells may bearranged in a parallel connection where the current is then the summedcurrent of the cells. In this configuration, however, the voltage isonly that of one cell, or the sum of the voltages across any cells whichare connected in series (if any). In many cases, storage batteries arerestricted to producing six or twelve volts.

Common drawbacks with such batteries include the short battery lifebetween charges and the limited set of voltage and currentconfigurations. These drawbacks are some of the major reasons why thesebatteries are not used extensively as stand-alone power sources.Electric cars, for example, would benefit enormously from a long-lastingbattery which is powerful, economical and lightweight. But to date,existing batteries do not provide sufficient power over time to make therange and speed of such a car economically viable. The batteries nowused to run completely electric cars are heavy, expensive and must berecharged every 50 to 75 miles. Consequently, electrically powered carsare slow, suffer from limited acceleration and have a short range.Additionally, the batteries lose their efficacy after a certain numberof recharge cycles and must be replaced at great expense.

Storage batteries generate electricity through a chemical process thatoccurs at their electrode plates. For example, modern lead-acidbatteries are made up of a positive and a negative grid that areseparated from each other by a porous insulator which may be comprisedof such materials as fiberglass, plastic, rubber or wood. The grids aremade up of lead and lead-alloy plates and are generally cast gridscovered by lead-paste or other compounds. The plates are submerged in anelectrolyte solution of water and usually sulfuric acid. Anelectrochemical reaction creates a positive charge on the lead alloyplates and a negative charge on the lead plates. The negative plates areconnected to the negative terminal and the positive plates are connectedto the positive terminal. The plates are suspended in a plastic or glasscomposition container where the diluted sulfuric acid is introduced asan electrolyte.

Electricity is created during discharge by way of an electrochemicalreaction. Due to the characteristics of the metals, separated by theconducting liquid, electrons migrate. The electron migration creates avoltage potential, which upon discharge generates an electric current.During the electrochemical reaction, the sulfuric acid electrolyte isconverted to water as lead sulfate forms on the plates. Hydrogen gas isthe byproduct of this reaction. The amount of charge remaining in thecell can be determined by measuring the specific gravity of theelectrolyte compared to water. When the plates are fully coated withlead sulfate and the sulfuric acid has been converted to water, thebattery is considered fully discharged.

Fully discharging such a battery, as described above, occurs relativelyquickly. As a result, the battery can be used only for short bursts ofenergy, such as starting a car, or for relatively low electrical demandrequirements, such as powering lights, before recharge is required.These drawbacks are why such batteries have not proven particularlysuccessful in such electrically powered devices as fully battery-drivenautomobiles.

Recharging involves passing a current through the battery so as toreverse the chemical reactions at the electrodes and in the sulfuricacid mixture. Recharging tends to restore the electrode plates to theiroriginal state and reconstitute the sulfuric acid mixture. If the cellis overcharged, however, electrolysis of water occurs, creating oxygenand hydrogen. Should electrolysis happen, water must be added to thebattery in order to recreate a properly constituted electrolyte solutionof water and sulfuric acid. Furthermore, electrolysis creates apotentially dangerous condition with possible disastrous consequencessince both hydrogen and oxygen are highly explosive gases.

Storage batteries usually have exposed positive and negative terminalsthat are directly attached to the battery. Such terminals tend tocorrode which reduces current and voltage generation.

When used to start and operate devices such as lights or engine-drivendevices, storage batteries are continually recharged by a generator oralternator which delivers an electrical charge to the battery while theengine (gas or diesel) is running. The generator or alternator must beregulated to ensure that a sufficient charge arrives at the battery andyet avoids an overcharge which would cause electrolysis and a possibleexplosion.

Storage batteries have been known for years and they can be made fromnumerous combinations of metals for electrodes and chemicals forelectrolytes. Improvements have consisted of changing the composition ofthe electrodes, rearranging the inner construction of the cell, orchanging the electrolyte. Electrode composition has included zinc,copper, silver, gold, nickel, cadmium, iron and various other mixturesof metals. Electrolyte composition has included sulfuric acid, potassiumhydroxide, zinc hydroxide, sulfuric and other electrolytes.

Recent improvements have included modified vent caps for each cell thattrap most of the evaporated water, allowing the water to condense anddrain back into the case. Batteries are also often fully sealed toprevent water from escaping. Such batteries include empty spaces withinthe case to accommodate the buildup of hydrogen gas. Previous batterieshad vent caps that allowed water vapor to escape which allowed thesulfuric acid solution to become too acidic, thereby corroding theplates. Other improvements directed to the plates include lead-calciumalloy plates and special plate coatings such as Teflon to help theplates resist corrosion. Also, improvements such as strengthening andencapsulating plates to prevent electrical shorts due to vibration havebeen implemented. The Battery Council International states that theaverage car battery life is 31/2 years. Even with the improvementsmentioned above, car batteries manufactured under current technologylast approximately 7 years.

The fact remains, however, that little has changed in the fundamentaldesign of storage batteries since Gaston Plante invented the batterycell in 1860. Present day batteries, while having longer life thanearlier models, must still be almost constantly recharged. Thesebatteries are also heavy, cumbersome, limited in the number of voltsproduced, limited in the current produced, and potentially dangerous.The batteries cannot deliver a sustained, predictable, reliable sourceof power over time and are essentially and fundamentally inefficient.These batteries consume far more energy during recharging than they canever generate. The cost of energy production from such a source is high.Thus, the applications for such batteries are severely restricted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The long-life battery described herein differs from existing storagebatteries and resolves many of the drawbacks associated with present daybatteries.

A first, separate aspect of the present invention is a battery thatgenerates power efficiently and requires fewer recharges.

A second, separate aspect of the present invention is a battery thatoperates for a sustained period of time before recharging is required,and therefore can serve as a primary power source for electricallypowered devices.

A third, separate aspect of the present invention is a battery thatproduces a sustained predictable, reliable source of power over time.

A fourth, separate aspect of the present invention is a battery that isefficient, has long-life and is lightweight relative to the voltage andamperage produced.

A fifth, separate aspect of the present invention is a battery that canbe configured to generate any voltage and/or any amperage.

A sixth, separate aspect of the present invention is a battery suitablefor numerous uses including electrically-powered devices, electric cars,electric vehicles, lights, radios, computers, spacecraft, power tools,military devices and devices requiring either a main or back-up sourceof electricity.

A seventh, separate aspect of the present invention is a battery thatprovides power for any application where a conventional secondary orstorage battery is now used.

An eighth, separate aspect of the present invention is a terminal-lessbattery that has insulated battery leads.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from a considerationof the ensuing description, drawings and full consideration of the scopeof the long-life battery.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The various objects, features and advantages of the present inventionwill be better understood by considering the Detailed Description of aPreferred Embodiment which follows together with the drawing figures,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cutaway side view of preferred embodiment of a long-lifebattery.

FIG. 2 is a cutaway view of the top of a battery that has multipleinserts.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of a terminal-less battery having insulated batteryleads.

FIG. 4 is a side cutaway view of an insulated battery lead with aconnector and insulation cover.

FIG. 5 is a top end plan view of an insulated battery lead with aconnector.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a mating connector which mates with theconnector of the insulated battery lead.

FIG. 7 is a side cutaway view of the mating connector.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the preferred embodiment, the long-life battery differs significantlywith respect to the overall structure and internal design of otherbatteries and reflects a major change from prior art battery designs.These improvements in the long-life battery enhance its performance,longevity, durability and independent power production. These and otherenhancements are made possible by the controlled introduction of heatand a magnetic field into the long-life battery. Controlled use of heatand a magnetic field creates an internal environment which affectsoperation of the long-life battery in a markedly advantageous way.

A well-known concept is that heat enhances chemical processes. Forinstance, a battery subjected to cold temperatures may lose more thanhalf of its warm-weather power or amperage. Paradoxically, however,battery life is not improved in warm climates. The Car Care Councilreports that batteries last significantly longer in cold climates suchas Chicago than they do in hot areas such as Phoenix. Two reasons exist.The first reason is that heat causes water to be lost by evaporationfrom the battery which disturbs the concentration of the sulfuric acidmixture. This evaporation problem has been virtually eliminated throughthe special vent caps described above and through a completely-sealedbattery. The second reason is that heat causes the plates in the batteryto transform faster, thus requiring more frequent recharging and therebyreducing the life of the battery. Manufacturers of vehicles and otherdevices, therefore, have attempted to avoid placing their batteries in ahot environment. They have gone so far as to place batteries away fromsources of heat. Car batteries, for instance, have been removed fromunder the car hoods where they were subject to engine heat and relocatedunder seats, in trunks and in other cooler places.

The long-life battery does not seek to avoid heat. By contrast, acentral component of the long-life battery is the actual introduction ofa heat source into the battery itself. The heat enhances theelectrochemical process which occurs within the battery, therebyfacilitating the production of voltage (force) and amperage (current).

Heat may be introduced into the long-life battery in a variety of ways,some examples of which are as follows. A heat source external to thebattery could direct heat onto the battery. The battery could be wrappedby a heat producing mechanism, much like an electrical blanket. Hot aircould be blown onto the battery. The walls of the battery could includea heat source. Further, any number of heat sources may be located withinthe battery itself. A metal coil that generates heat when an electricalcurrent passes through the coil could serve as the heat source. Thesource of heat could be electrical, chemical, combustion, solar, orthrough the operation of gravity, friction, or any other source. Whilealternative heat sources may suffice, the preferred heat source for thelong-life battery is a mixture comprising a combination of 50%hydrochloric (HCL) acid and 50% muriatic acid. The HCL acid isoriginally formed by passing HCL gas through water which results in amaximum concentration of HCL of about 35% HCl. Muriatic acid containsless HCL and has a maximum HCL concentration of about 31.5%. Themuriatic acid and HCL acid used in testing of the above mixture weremanufactured by Chem Lab Products located in Ontario, Calif. Each ofthese acids has the same base (HCL), but they function differently andwhen combined in the embodiment of the present invention as describedherein, they produce heat over time. In a test of an embodiment of thepresent invention, the 50% muriatic acid--50% hydrochloric acid mixturewas found to generate heat in the temperature range of 75 degreesFahrenheit to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. The battery temperature wasapproximately 220 degrees at full operation and significantly lower whennot in use. Certainly, other chemical mixtures could be employed to actas the heat source and other temperature ranges produced.

FIG. 1 is a cutaway side view of a long-life battery that embodies thepresent invention. The long-life battery 10 has a housing 12 formed ofsteel 14 and externally covered by plastic or fiberglass 16. A sulfuricacid mixture 18 from a conventional battery, which comprises water andsulfuric acid, flows within the long-life battery housing 12. Thelong-life battery 10 contains an open steel casing insert 20. The steelcasing insert 20 is inserted into and mounted to the bottom of thelong-life battery 10. A long-life battery 10 will use at least one steelinsert 20. The sulfuric acid mixture 18 flows in and out of the steelinsert 20. Battery cells 21 are placed within housing 12 and adjacent tosaid insert 20. Battery cells 21 can be any conventional or well-knownbattery cells used in the art.

Each steel insert 20 contains at least two steel acid containers ortubes 22. The acid containers 22 are mounted to the bottom of the opensteel casing insert 20. Each container 22 is formed of steel and ispreferably thick so as to be acid-resistant. Each container 22 is filledwith the muriatic-hydrochloric acid mixture 24 described above. When themuriatic-hydrochloric acid mixture 24 heats up, the steel containers 22heat up, thereby raising the temperature of the sulfuric acid mixture18. The plastic or fiberglass covering 16 also acts as an insulator tomaintain the temperature of the battery. At higher temperatures, theinsulating layer may be made thicker or of alternative materials.

The containers 22 within a steel insert 20 are separated by a magnet 26.The purpose of the magnet is discussed later. The muriatic-hydrochloricacid mixture 24 is consumed slowly during operation of the battery 10.Thus, the containers 22 have filling tubes 30 that extend from the topof the containers to the top surface of the battery 10. The fillingtubes 30 have removable caps 28 (by screwing or otherwise opening) whichallow a user to add additional muriatic-hydrochloric acid mixture (ormuriatic acid or hydrochloric acid alone) into the containers 22 fromtime to time as needed to maintain the proper constitution and amount ofthe acid mixture 24 in the containers 22. The caps 28 effectively sealthe containers 22 to prevent mixing of the muriatic-hydrochloric acidmixture 24 with the sulfuric acid mixture 18 and to prevent leakage ofthe toxic fumes from the muriatic-hydrochloric acid mixture 24. Thebattery could also eliminate the filling tubes or have some othermechanism for refilling acid into the containers 22.

The containers 22 are preferably grounded at multiple points so that thecontainers 22 remain well grounded even if one or more of the groundingpoints are destroyed by the corrosive effects of the various acids orexternal shocks to the battery system. The containers 22 are mounted tothe metal housing 14 of the battery 10 which serve to ground thecontainers 22. Grounding wires 32 may be used to connect the caps 28together and further ground the containers 22. Grounding wires 32 mayalternatively comprise metal ribbons or bars. The containers 22 may befurther grounded via wires, ribbons or bars to the metal housing 14 onthe side of the battery 10.

The internal heat source created by the containers 22 of themuriatic-hydrochloric acid mixture 24 produces an environment whichimproves the operation of the battery 10 by enhancing chemicalreactions. The internal heat source is long-lived and produces heatcontinuously and over time. The heat source requires no electrical inputand does not drain electricity from the battery itself.

The second unique element of the long-life battery 10 is the use of amagnetic field which also can be introduced in various ways. Onepossibility is the introduction of an electromagnet to generate anelectromagnetic field. Containers 22 could be used as part of the sourcewhich generates the electromagnetic field if the containers were made ofa suitable metal. The major disadvantage of the use of an electromagnetis that the magnetic force must be created by the passage of anelectrical current around a metal core, which requires either anadditional electrical source to generate the current or the siphoning ofsome current from the battery itself. Either solution makes theelectromagnet approach less efficient than the second method.

The second possibility is the introduction of a magnetized piece ofmetal or magnet. A magnet does not need electricity to create its fieldof force. This field of force operates continuously and needs no outsidesource of power. Thus, the preferred embodiment utilizes a permanentmagnet 26. Permanent magnets are graded between 1 to 45 where the higherthe grade, the stronger the magnetic field generated by the magnet. Rareearth magnets of the type used in music speakers have grades of 24 to45, while magnets used in motors and generators have grades of about 5to 8. Grade selection may depend on the battery, the heat source, theelectrolyte, and/or the proposed use of the battery. Test batteriesembodying the invention used a rectangular industrial permanent magnethaving a grade of between 5 and 8 that was manufactured by Magnet Salesand Manufacturing, Inc. of Culver City, Calif. Any shape, size andvariation of magnet may be used, depending on these factors. In general,as the temperature generated by the heat source increases, the magnet'sgrade should increase.

As noted above, the introduction of heat alone in a storage batterycauses its life to be shortened rather than lengthened. Although heatstimulates chemical activity to increase the current, force and power ofthe battery, the plates (not shown) within the battery corrode much morequickly, thus actually diminishing the time that the battery can producepower before recharging is required. The conjunctive introduction of amagnetic field and a heat source into the long-life battery changes thisdynamic. Heat stimulates the chemical activity to increase the current,force and power generated by the battery, while it is believed themagnetic field impacts the flow of electrons, among other effects, whichslows down the corrosive effect of heat and the generation of leadsulfate on the plates. That is, the magnet's effect on the motion ofelectrolytic molecules and the alignment of the magnet create aninternal environment in the battery which continuously counteracts theprocess that ultimately requires recharging of the battery. Under themagnetic field environment, the plates of the battery are nottransformed as quickly as in the absence of a magnetic field. Since theplates maintain their composition longer under a magnetic field, theheat source produces current, force and power over a greater life timebefore recharging is required. Recharging is eventually necessary, butnot as quickly as recharging is required in existing storage batteries.Thus, the resulting long-life battery can be used as a primary powersource for virtually any application.

In the preferred embodiment, the magnet 26 lies with its positive end 34touching one of the containers 22 and its negative end 36 touching theother container 22. The magnetic field generated may reach the batterycells and even external of the battery 10. The strength and compositionof the magnet used may depend on the factors discussed above. All ofthese magnet characteristics can be changed to suit the particular needsof the battery or electrically-powered device.

The long-life battery is not limited in the amount of voltage oramperage produced. To generate a given voltage, simply increase thenumber of cells connected in series until the desired voltage output isachieved. Likewise, increase the number of cells connected in paralleluntil the desired amperage output is achieved. Any combination of cellsin series and cells in parallel is possible, thereby allowing anyresulting combination of voltage and current. Although cells of ordinarybatteries may be combined in various combinations to achieve greatervoltages and currents, the long-life battery using the present inventionrequires fewer cells to achieve the same voltage/current and life.Consequently, the resulting long-life battery is lighter in weight thana comparable conventional battery. The lightweight, longer-life and moreefficient battery described herein thus has many advantageous uses,including many if not all of the present battery applications as well asapplications not currently suitable for batteries. Where the magneticfield might interfere with the electrically-powered device or nearbydevices, the long-life battery may be shielded by any well known method,or the battery may be relocated to a more tolerant location.

FIG. 2 illustrates a battery having multiple inserts. Battery cells 50are located inside battery 10. Each cell 50 may comprise a cell known tothose of ordinary skill in the art. For instance, a cell 50 may compriseplates or grids made of lead alloy. Cells may be made of other materialssuch as nickel-cadmium, nickel-iron and silver-zinc. Inserts 20 areplaced between battery cells 50. As shown, each insert 20 lies betweentwo cells of a line of cells. Alternatively, the cells 50 can beconfigured to lie in a triangular or circular pattern around an insert20 so that each insert 20 is close in proximity to more than two cells.The electricity from the cells is transmitted out of the battery 10 overterminals 40, 42 (or insulated leads if terminals are absent).

A test battery has been found to increase the life of a six-cell 12 voltbattery. The test battery included one steel insert 20 having twocontainers 22 and one magnet 26. The insert 20 was placed between twogroups of three cells in the 12 volt battery. An insert 20 could bealtered to have any number of containers 22 and any number of magnets26. The test battery was then connected to a V-8, 350 cubic inchgasoline engine. The test battery ran the engine without the benefit ofan alternator or other electrical source for at least 60 hours and yetdid not completely drain the battery. The engine was not run for 60hours straight, but usually at several hours per day, over a period ofapproximately a month.

The long-life battery 10 may be built without terminals 40, 42 which areeasy targets for corrosion caused by acid leaks. Instead, as shown inFIG. 3, the terminal-less long-life battery 10 may use insulated leads100, 102 that connect away from the battery itself, thus eliminatingcorroded terminals. The insulated leads 100, 102 may be a foot long witha snap or twist connector 110 for connecting to the device to beelectrically powered. FIG. 4 shows a side cutaway view of an insulatedbattery lead with a metal connector 110. Preferrably the connector 110has an insulating cover 112 that protects the connector 110 fromcorrosion. The insulating cover 112 also protects the lead from shortingwhich might arise if an uninsulated lead touches a conducting material.The insulating cover 112 may either peel back to reveal the physicalconnector 110 or extend beyond the connector 110 so as to completelycover the connector 110 when the connector 110 is connected to a matingconnector. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the top end of the connector 110which has flanges 114. FIG. 6 is a plan view of a mating connector 116which has mating grooves 118 that engage the flanges 114.

FIG. 7 illustrates the mating connector 116 in greater detail. Themating connector 116 is connected to an insulated lead 118 from a devicethat is to receive electricity from the battery. The mating connector116 is made of metal or other conducting material and has a hollow core120. A spring 122 resides inside the hollow core 120. The matingconnector 116 has an insulating cover 124 that covers part of the metalportion of mating connector 116. The uncovered portion of the matingconnector 116 is covered by the insulating cover 112 of the connector110.

When the connector 110 is twisted or snapped into the mating connector116, the flanges 114 and mating grooves 117 couple and lock theconnectors together. In the particular embodiment, the connector 110 isa male connector that mates with a female mating connector 116. When themale connector 110 is inserted into the hollow core 120 of the matingconnector 116, the end of the connector 110 is pressed against thespring 122 contained within mating connector 116. When the connector 110is twisted, the flanges 114 of the connector 110 enters the matinggrooves 117 which are cut into the hollow core surface of the matingconnector 116. The spring 122 keeps the flanges 114 pressed againstmating grooves 117 in a locked fashion. To disengage the connector 110and the mating connector 116, one pushes the connector 110 further intothe mating connector 116 (against the action of the spring 122) and thentwists the connector 110 in the opposite direction to release theflanges 114 from the mating grooves 117. Both connector 110 and matingconnector 116 may be made of a high quality steel or another suitablematerial. Mating connectors 116 may be crimped onto a mating lead or thedevice to be electrically powered if the lead lacks mating connectors.

To recharge the long-life battery 10, the process used to recharge otherrechargeable batteries may be utilized. In other words, a current ispassed through the battery terminals 40, 42 (or battery leads 100, 102)in the reverse-direction as the current flow during battery operation.Alligator clamps from a battery charger can be clamped onto theconnectors 110.

The present long-life battery which uses both a heat source and amagnetic field source represents one of the first fundamental designchanges to be made in battery technology since the time of GastonPlante. As described, the long-life battery utilizes a newelectrochemical process which is internal to the battery itself andinserted in such a way as to interact with the cells, plates andelectrolyte. This new process creates a specific operation environmentthat allows the long-life battery to generate significant quantities ofelectrical energy over time, without requiring as many recharges. Thelong-life battery operates for a sustained period of time beforerecharging is required. Therefore, the long-life battery can serve as aprimary power source capable of operating innumerable conveyances,appliances, machines, tools, vehicles, equipment, lights and devices.For instance, the long-life battery may power electrical vehicles,aircraft, cars, spacecraft, machines, tools, lights, radios, stereos,compact disc players, telephones and computers. The long-life batterymay be used as a backup power source for any device including vehicleswhose gasoline/diesel/methanol engines are inoperational. The long-lifebattery could even power remote residences or businesses wheretransmitted power is unavailable or cost-prohibitive. Hence, thelong-life battery is suitable for any application where a conventionalsecondary or storage battery is presently used as well as thoseapplications ill-suited for conventional batteries.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific examples thereof have been shown by way ofexample in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should beunderstood, however, that it is not intended to limit the invention tothe particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the invention is tocover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling withinthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the followingclaims.

We claim:
 1. A battery comprising:a housing containing at least onebattery cell; an electrolytic material contained within said housing; acontainer within said housing; a heat-generating mixture containedwithin said container, said heat-generating mixture including an acid;and a magnetic field source within said housing.
 2. The battery of claim1 wherein said electrolytic material is an electrolytic liquid withinsaid housing.
 3. The battery of claim 1 further comprising:an insertmounted to the bottom of said housing and having an open end that allowssaid electrolytic material to surround said insert, wherein saidcontainer is mounted within and to said insert.
 4. The battery of claim1 wherein said electrolytic material is an electrolytic gel.
 5. Thebattery of claim 1 wherein said magnetic field source comprises:a magnetcoupled to said container.
 6. The battery of claim 1 wherein saidmagnetic field source comprises:an electromagnet coupled to saidcontainer.
 7. The battery of claim 3 wherein said magnetic field sourcecomprises:a magnet coupled to said container.
 8. The battery of claimfurther comprising:at least two containers containing saidheat-generating mixture; and a magnet disposed between said containers.9. The battery of claim 4 wherein said magnetic field source comprises:amagnet coupled to said container.
 10. The battery of claim 2 whereinsaid electrolytic liquid is a composition of sulfuric acid and water.11. The battery of claim 1 wherein said container includes a removablecap that permits said heat-generating mixture to be added to saidcontainer.
 12. The battery of claim 1 herein said container furthercomprises:a filling tube extending from said container towards the topof the battery; and a removable cap mounted to said filling tube thatpermits said heat-generating mixture to be added to said containerthrough said filling tube.
 13. The battery of claim 1 wherein saidheat-generating mixture comprises muriatic acid an hydrochloric acid.14. The battery of claim 1 wherein said heat-generating mixturecomprises 50% muriatic acid and 50% hydrochloric acid.
 15. The batteryof claim 1 wherein said heat-generating mixture comprises muriatic acidand hydrochloric acid, said magnetic field source is a magnet, and saidelectrolytic material is an electrolytic liquid.
 16. A batterycomprising:a housing; an electrolytic material disposed within saidhousing; a plurality of battery cells contained within said housing; aplurality of inserts mounted to said housing; a plurality of containersmounted within each of said inserts; a heat-generating mixture containedwithin said containers; and a magnetic field source disposed about saidcontainers within each of said inserts.
 17. The battery of claim 16wherein said heat-generating mixture comprises muriatic acid andhydrochloric acid.
 18. The battery of claim 16 wherein saidheat-generating mixture comprises approximately equal portions ofmuriatic acid and hydrochloric acid.
 19. The battery of claim 16 whereinsaid magnetic field source is a magnet coupled to said container. 20.The battery of claim 16 wherein said heat-generating mixture comprisesmuriatic acid and hydrochloric acid, said magnetic field source is amagnet, and said electrolytic material is an electrolytic liquid. 21.The battery of claim 16 wherein said electrolytic material is anelectrolytic liquid.
 22. The battery of claim 16 wherein saidelectrolytic material is an electrolytic gel.